Differential association of HIV-related neuropsychological impairment withsemantic versus repetition priming

There is evidence that the facilitating effects of stimulus repetition (rep etition or identity priming) are mediated by visuoperceptual functions loca l to extrastriate cortex. Semantic or verbal-associative priming, on the ot her hand, is believed to be a function of more anterior brain systems. The present study finds evidence for disrupted semantic priming with intact rep etition priming in a cognitively impaired HIV+ sample. These results are co nsistent with recent brain-imaging evidence for a subcortical and white-mat ter locus for HIV associated neuropathology resulting in effects on subcort ical-frontal systems.